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Title Simplified Multi-Life Cycle Assessment at the Urban Block Scale: GIS-Based Comparative Methodology for Evaluating Energy Efficiency Solutions
ID_Doc 20318
Authors Costantino, C; Benedetti, AC; Gulli, R
Title Simplified Multi-Life Cycle Assessment at the Urban Block Scale: GIS-Based Comparative Methodology for Evaluating Energy Efficiency Solutions
Year 2023
Published Buildings, 13, 9
DOI 10.3390/buildings13092355
Abstract The Italian residential building stock consists of 12.2 million buildings, with 7.2 constructed post-World War II during the economic boom. These structures were designed without specific regulations for seismic safety, fire resistance, and energy efficiency, and today lies the current state of strong obsolescence. Therefore, energy refurbishment may not always be the best cost/benefit solution due to these intrinsic issues. Consequently, the transition to construction systems based on circular economy principles brings new opportunities and becomes key to proposing replacement interventions for this heritage. This paper presents a comparative GIS-based bottom-up approach to evaluate the lifecycle impact of residential building blocks, encompassing energy, environmental, and economic aspects. Two tools are introduced: one for measuring energy consumption and the other for quantifying the quantities of materials stored in buildings. This methodology permits comparing the new circular buildings and different refurbishment scenarios to identify the most suitable solution from an environmental impact and financial point of view. The application of a case study, a residential urban block in Bologna, built in 1945-1965, highlights how the demolition and reconstruction scenario based on circular economy principles presents the lowest environmental impacts and is economically competitive compared to standard deep renovation techniques.
Author Keywords GIS-based tools; multi-life cycle assessment; circular economy; LCA; LCC; building energy consumption; second half of the 20th century built heritage; residential block; energy refurbishment; demolition and reconstruction
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
EID WOS:001077190800001
WoS Category Construction & Building Technology; Engineering, Civil
Research Area Construction & Building Technology; Engineering
PDF https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/13/9/2355/pdf?version=1695025954
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